It’s Always Sunny in June at the PACC!
Written by Page Finch
The sun might be shining, but so are the galleries at the Paseo Arts and Creativity Center! Escape the heat and join us this month by enjoying our three exhibitions this June. These include Dynamic Duos by Poetic City Visual Arts in Gallery I, Intuition by Michelle Canning in Gallery II, and Evolve or Perish by Mvskoke artist Andrea Day in Gallery III. Exhibits will be on view from June 7 through 29 at 3024 Paseo.
Artists featured: DaVonte Anderson, Wesley Luster, Tiffani Nicole Sanders
Beginning in Gallery I, visitors can explore Dynamic Duos by Poetic City Visual Arts. This exhibition demonstrates how everyone, although unique, can come together to create something electrifying. Each artist has created artwork with subjects about duos and pairings, both people and things that can be great alone but are indeed better when joined together.
Consider Sunee Rice’s Chicken & Waffles. Through the rich colors and organic lines, Rice’s work demonstrates how food such as chicken and waffles are both delicious on their own, but when combined, they are the sweet and salty dish that leaves our mouths watery and our stomachs rumbling.
The Poetic City Visual Arts artists featured: Davonte Anderson, Ebony Avila, Nylainah DeNee Brewer, Kensi King, Wesley Luster, Sunee Rice, Tiffani Nicole (Sanders), and Rico Young.
Forlorn by Michelle Canning
Next, in Gallery II, visitors can enjoy Michelle Canning’s Intuition featuring her woodcut prints. Originally born in Aurora, Colorado while her father was active duty in the United States Air Force, Michelle Canning was raised by her Indigenous mother who is a member of the Makah Nation. She currently lives in Edmond, Oklahoma where she attends the University of Central Oklahoma pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Studio Art.
Rebirth and Remembrance by Michelle Canning
Her work demonstrates how line creates shape and form to build the emotion of the body, as well as emphasis how through the creation of woodcut, there is unique and organic character that gives richness and detail to the print.
Woodcut printmaking is a technique where a pattern is carved on a block of wood, leaving the parts that were not removed to make the print. Through this technique, Canning is able to capture a figure’s physical energy that deserves to be seen.
Pakpvkuce (Flower) by Andrea Day
Gallery III features Andrea’s Day’s Evolve or Perish. A Mvskoke artist, Day’s work takes a pivotal role in creating a new path between Mvskoke language and cultural preservation, while challenging and reshaping the categorical perceptions of First American fine art within the art industry. Her show incorporates her signature three-dimensional medium: AcrybeadTM, acrylic painting, and hand sewing small clusters of seed beads on canvas.
Day draws connections from nature’s resilience and the energy from her life in New York City. Although, beneath the vibrant colors and intricate designs of flora and fauna, there are messages and motifs that offer viewers the chance to broaden their minds about cultural identity, survival, and the transformative influence of art. As an urban Indian in the 21st Century, Day hopes her works fosters healing and breaks deep-rooted perceptions by embracing the ever-evolving First American artistry.